1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus with a plurality of network controllers, and a network controller setting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various network standards have been determined. Networks complying with those standards are finding wide application. The spread of wireless communication networks is especially astonishing. With this spread, information processing apparatuses incorporating a plurality of network controllers of different types are coming onto the market.
The network controllers built in information processing apparatuses include Ethernet™ controllers conforming to the IEEE 802.3 standard, wireless LAN controllers conforming to the IEEE 802.11b standard, and Bluetooth™ controllers conforming to the Bluetooth standard.
Ethernet controllers are used to communicate with other information equipment via a LAN. Wireless LAN controllers are used to communicate with other information equipment via a wireless LAN. Bluetooth controllers are used to communicate with other information equipment via a Bluetooth short-distance wireless communication network.
Portable information processing apparatuses, such as notebook personal computers, can be used in various places because of their features. When connecting the information processing apparatus to the desired network at the place where the user has gone, the user sets a protocol and service in each network controller installed in the information processing apparatus so as to meet the network environment to which the network controller is to be connected. However, when setting is done so as to use simultaneously the network controllers built in the information processing apparatus, the following problem may arise.
For instance, in an information processing apparatus incorporating an Ethernet controller (complying with IEEE 802.3) and a wireless LAN controller (complying with IEEE 802.11b), when setting has been done so as to use both of the network controllers, the network controller unconnected to the network cannot recognize the network. In this case, in the process of initializing the network at the start-up of the OS, the user has to wait for the initialization of the unconnected network controller to be completed, which increases the user's waiting time.
To avoid this problem, the user, each time using the network, has to do setting so that the unused network controller cannot be used on the OS. In addition, when using the network controller, the user has to do setting so that the network controller may be used. That is, the user has to change the setting between the used network controller and the unused network controller. This causes the user to have a sense of troublesomeness or imposes burden on the user.
Furthermore, in an information processing apparatus incorporating a wireless LAN controller (complying with IEEE 802.11b) and a Bluetooth controller, when setting has been done so as to use both of the network controllers, the frequency band used in each of the controllers is almost the same at 2.4 GHz, causing interference. Thus, in this case, too, the user has to bring the unused network controller into the disabled state each time using the network. This causes the user to have a sense of troublesomeness or imposes burden on the user.
Moreover, in an information processing apparatus incorporating a plurality of network controllers as described above, when the user has connected each network controller to a different or the same (the same sub-net) network, there is a possibility that an unexpected trouble will develop. For instance, when each network controller is connected to a different network at the same time for the purpose of IP rooting, no problem will arise. With an OS that does not support the connection, however, the proper operation is not guaranteed. When each network controller has been connected to the same sub-net network, none of them can be used.
For this reason, there have been demands for an information processing apparatus and a network controller setting method which enable the unused network controllers to be brought reliably into the disabled state without letting the user have a sense of troublesomeness or imposing any burden on the user in setting a plurality of network controllers.